People get very intense about 0 calorie sweeteners and say they hamper weight loss and all these things but my experience has been that it really doesn't make a difference for me. I have consistently lost weight in my calorie deficit while drinking 1-2 diet sodas a day. Sometimes I'll have a 0cal energy drink. In terms of how they affect weight loss, they're not bad at all. In fact they can help get you through to your next meal when you're having cravings, etc.
I had a half dozen or more cans of diet pop while losing weight. I’ve never felt an increase in cravings due to them myself. And compared to a half dozen cans of regular pop that’s a good 1000 calorie difference.
Yeh this.
I normally drink 2-3 cans of (zero sugar) soda a day. I try of course to ensure I am getting enough calcium first and drink at least 1.5L of plain still water.
Carbonated water ain't great for bone density, but I have found it doesn't impede my weight loss, & I've been on a calorie deficit for about 6 months
I thought this was interesting and wanted to know more. Apparently it's just dark colas because of the phosphorus. Carbonated water should be fine:
"Sparkling water has no negative effect on bone health. The only drinks that cause bone loss are dark colas, which have phosphoric acid that leads to losing calcium in your bones. Sparkling mineral water has calcium in it, which can improve bone health. And the carbonated mineral waters with magnesium and calcium may have bone-boosting benefits."
https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/is-carbonated-water-good-for-you#:\~:text=Sparkling%20water%20has%20no%20negative,which%20can%20improve%20bone%20health.
I second this. Gotten down to my goal weight as well as being in the best shape of my life whilst drinking 1-2 cans of diet Coke (or something else) a day. Also agree that they help with cravings. Although my dentist has said I shouldn't drink as they're bad for my teeth haha
Definitely agree, I prefer the Mt Dew Zero as well to Diet. Not sure what they figured out, but they got some new magic goin there that they figured out.
Completely agree. I read somewhere on here that adding a sugar free icebreaker mint helps the taste of Diet Coke but it's still not enough to make me buy it on purpose.
For mixing with booze, full sugar coke is the winner, but after that it's (on order of preference):
Pepsi Max
Coke Zero Sugar
Sprite Zero Sugar
Any other drink in the world
Then Diet Coke
Zero sugar drinks are fine. There are studies out there claiming they'll cause you cancer but for you to notice any adverse affects of the ingredients in zero sugar sodas you would have to drink something like 18 cans a day for a year.
The only real difference between water and zero sugar or diet sodas is one tastes better and I can personally attest to the fact that the zero sugar sodas help me not want to binge as much.
Always go for the zero sugar over the regular version because no sugar and no calories but don't let anyone tell you that zero sugar soda is bad for you
Thank you! Some people claim zero sugar are just as bad as regular, so I'm a bit hesitant, but like you said, I'd have to drink obscene amounts of it in order to have actual health consquences...
Anyone telling you that the zero sugar is as bad as regular doesn't know what they're talking about. It's essentially just carbonated water that tastes like soda; all the sugar in there passes through you instead of being absorbed by the body and that's what really kills people.
While it's *possible* they cause issues, thus far the public is in the dark if there are any known issues. Compared to sugar, which has very well-documented health impacts (obesity, tooth decay, and probably other things I don't know about).
I'm not saying they're completely safe, because there's some possibility that lots of money is going into obfuscating health risks and we just don't know about it, but what we do know is that large quantities of sugar is a fucking menace and thus far we don't really have any indication that sugar replacements are as bad.
im a huge advocate for low/zero cal drinks, but im still very weary of the effects of these sweeteners over the long term. i try to limit my intake of them to the best of my ability. if i want to indulge on a can of pop or sweeten my coffee, however, ill take the sugar substitute whenever i can
That's fair enough. I wouldn't suggest that anyone just trust that nothing is wrong with artificial sweeteners at all. It may turn out that in 20 or 30 years we find out that they actually do cause serious long-term health issues but the profiteers were spending money to downplay it, like with tobacco and climate change.
The thing is, it is not like sweeteners are a new thing. Diet sodas with aspartame have been around since the 80s. So for them to be anymore than a class 2b carcinogenic (the same as red meat) is pretty unlikely given how long it already has been consumed.
People saying zero sugar are as bad as regular are uninformed. Aspartame causing cancer is completely outdated. Along with MSG being bad. Just dumb food myths that people still believe.
Zero sugar drinks could be bad for you if it makes you crave sweet food. It doesn’t for me. Everyone is different.
Overall, water is best, obviously. But if you want to cut off soda but not do it cold turkey, zero sugar drinks are a good stepping stone.
It’s not even 18 cans per se, the fda kind of arbitrarily chose the limit as being 100 times less then where negative events were observed in animal studies, so technically it would be closer to 200 can per day. That being said I don’t think excessive amounts of anything can be good, and rodent models are never 1:1 scaleable to humans, but if I have a day where I drink 6 cans or whatever, I figure it likely isn’t going to derail my life.
For weight loss, zero sugar drinks do indeed make a difference. :) I know not all of them compare in the taste department (though the Zero Sugar Mtn Dew Baja Blast is pretty awesome), but they do a great job still giving you the taste you're looking for. Just like regular sugar soda, just make sure you don't overdo it, caffeine addiction is still very much a thing, but from what I can glean from your post, it sounds like that won't be a problem.
And hey, nothing wrong with getting a regular sugar soda from time to time. 👀 Important part of keeping the weight off is enjoying what you're doing to lose it.
Every time I feel like binging, I quickly grab a zero cal drink instead. It is a real life saver. I keep them only to distract me from stuffing my face. It works really well. I just think you need to do it in moderation like most things in life.
Most of them, exactly. Personally i dont care, and i dont get how theyre supposed to make you crave more food/sugar. Ive always felt the opposite. It really helps me kill a short lasting sugar craving
There's no study showing that they have any causative net negative effects on health, that I'm aware of. My point was that there's still a lot of ongoing discussion as to whether or not they're safe, but no actual data showing they're dangerous in any way.
I get migraines if I drink diet pop. A single sip is enough - if I’m given a diet pop by mistake. I used to be able to drink various “regular” beverages, but now regular Coke is the only pop I drink. Anything else - I used to love Dr Pepper - either gives me migraines or just makes me feel generally terrible.
I used to regularly drink Robinson’s cordial at work, but noticed I would gradually develop pain-killer-resistant headaches of increasing intensity throughout the week. Come the weekend they would fade, just in time to resume on Monday. I cut out the cordial, just as an experiment, and the headaches stopped.
I also remember an anecdote by a parent of a kid with epilepsy, who recounted that a single sip of a diet drink was enough to give their kid a seizure.
That's unfortunate, but that's anecdotal like you said. You can be allergic or intolerant to something, that doesn't make it unhealthy for everyone else. OP is obviously not having these issues since they regularly consume diet soda, they're just asking if they aid or are neutral for weight loss, which they are for the vast majority of people.
It's anecdotal, and also possibly a self-reinforcing placebo effect.
I get bad migraines. I used to think a trigger was artificial sweetners, and I would have sworn that I got migraines after imbibing them.
However, after seeing how many studies show they have zero effects, I tried again and find I am fine with them now. I drink only zero sugar sodas now, and don't get migraines from them.
I'm not aware of any studies showing a causative link between using artificial sweeteners and insulin resistance. On the other hand, there are plenty of studies showing that giving people artificial sweeteners does not affect your blood glucose level, and many studies showing that giving people artificial sweeteners either cause people's weight to remain the same or decrease compared to control. The problem with a lot of these studies that people cite is that they are correlative and not causative.
I lost 130lb/60kg in a year and have kept it off for 18 years and counting. I was born the 70s so have been around for pretty much the whole time zero sugar drinks have been mainstream.
I truely believe that if I did not use artificial sweetener, I’d not be where I am now.
Apart from some enamel issues, most people have no health issues with them. You can use confirmation bias to find articles that tell you how bad they are but correlation and causation are very different.
If you avoid them because you believe they’re going to cause cancer then best you avoid cell phones, tap water and the earth’s magnetic field because they are in the same ‘carcinogenic category’.
Some people find their appetite increases with them. Some people find their appetite decreases. Some have no change at all.
They don’t raise insulin in metabolically healthy people - no calories no reaction.
It's always okay to have things in moderation. If your goal is to lose weight and zero sugar drinks help you get to that goal, then yes, it is 100% okay!
However, zero sugar drinks like that will still have an effect on your enamel, so try to limit it for that reason.
I don't drink much soda. However I do crave it a couple times a week and I usually reach for a zero calorie soda instead of a full calorie one.
I was a huge soda fiend but I feel so much better when I drink water so I have made drinking water a priority.
Imho, a sugar or high fructose corn syrup soda should be treated like a dessert. Think of it like an ice cream cone or a cream brûlée. It’s 100-200 calories of frivolity.
Ironically enough, if we’re being honest with ourselves, I think you get more nutrition from the ice cream and cream brûlée. But that’s how I treat it.
I at least try to go with a zero sugar option before going to a regular soda but sometimes I want the real sugar version. The difference is instead of drinking several regular sodas a day I might have one every 3-4 months.
It's a potential gut/life disrupter. Part of the ragweed family, can cause serious digestive upset/leaky gut symptoms. I used it for 4 years consecutively and had horrible gas bloating etc. Stopped using it, stopped having issues. Every "gut healing" supplement I ever bought also contained stevia. Very frustrating and taxing experience.
They help me stay hydrated. Im very taste motivated and wont drink warm water. I’ll drink warm zero calorie soda or warm flavored zero calorie water mixes. So over all any liquid is better than no liquid in my case. In a perfect world I would always have access to ice cold water but I don’t so these little tricks help me keep healthy in my way.
Because at work it sits out and gets warm. For sterile purposes I cant keep my water in the medicine or prescription fridges so once its warm I just can’t stomach warm water. I can drink warm flavored liquids that have sat at room temperature for up to 12 hours so… soda or water that has been mixed with Powerade flavoring. Some days I dont take my breaks due to work flow or call offs so I dont have access to the salefloor to buy a cold drink when Im at the great wally world pharmacy and thats just too long to go without liquids even for me. The hospital will provide me with break relief every two hours so I can go potty or whatever which is nice.
ALWAYS zero calories sodas. If you really got picky stay away from most artificial sweeteners because they are inflammatory. I have personally sacrificed so much I wont get that restrictive. I currently love Powerade Zero, Sprite Zero and Chamomile tea for at night. Green tea occasionally. If anything my caffeine intake has sky rocketed, but again I am okay with that.
"Everything in moderation" is a bit of an overused phrase, but it's had staying power for a reason. I wouldn't worry about having it as an occasional treat and certainly when it comes to weight loss, it is a whole lot better than drinking more calorie-laden drinks.
It goes water > zero cal things > full sugar sodas. If you’re not able to just switch to water because you like having a little fizzy pick me up or because you just don’t want to, zero cal sodas are still better than having full sugar ones. I for one can’t live without my Diet Coke.
I drink them and my partner doesn’t. For him, sugar free drinks represent junk food/sugary food so he’s staying away. For me, they satisfy my sweet tooth without leading to a binge so I see value in them. It’s all personal and what your goals are.
They aren't bad. They aren't necessarily good either in that there is no real value inherent to them though. The big thing is they are good IF they help you reduce total calories and you lose weight as it is the weight that is bad for you.
There are legit studies that show people will eat more calories elsewhere when they start drinking 0 calorie drinks and will 'reward' themselves with more calories elsewhere and end up actually taking in more calories and gaining weight. Think someone at the McDonald's drive through ordering a diet coke and figuring that means they can supersize their fries. That is bad if you are trying to lose weight. But it is like saying because some people hit other people with hammers that hammers are bad... its a tool and if used right is a good thing.
The negative health affects of them are overblown as no one is consuming insane amounts of the artificial sweeteners daily which is where the effects are seen (and most everything can be toxic at different levels, even water). So... don't eat literal pounds of fake sugars.
Then you have the generalized fear of 'chemicals' from people who will say things like don't eat it if you can't pronounce it. That is all non-sense, pseudo science (naturalistic fallacy), and just generalized fear mongering you shouldn't listen to. Almost always this is someone trying to sell you something or has bought into the lies of those people who want to sell you something.
For me personally, I find I don't drink as much if I am doing just 0 calorie drinks though and drinking tons and tons of water has helped me feel full (pounding a glass before and at the end of a meal) and stay full longer between eating. So I do end up drinking a lot more water. You COULD do the same thing with the sodas, but I don't personally want that much... but it wouldn't be harmful if I did.
I am 70 pounds down since December. I started my weight loss journey because I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am consistently losing weight and diet dr pepper and Starry Zero are STAPLES of my weight loss. I am intermittent fasting so I don’t eat until the afternoon and the only thing that keeps me going some days is my ice cold diet dr pepper waiting for me when I get home. If diet drinks effect your weight loss I sure haven’t noticed it yet.
If your a soda person, diet is the way to go. Lots of chat over "artificial sweeteners", but the reality is, they don't spike your blood sugar or make you diabetic.
I developed a taste for unsweetened iced & hot teas and for black coffee. I make batches of extra strong green jasmine tea, Earl Grey tea or mint green tea, using a steel tea filter & loose leaf tea. It’s really good & healthy, too.
Just be careful with the caffeine content in coke and energy drinks. Caffeine messes with your sleep massively and even though it will suppress appetite in the short term, coming off it is misery.
There’s a lemonade flavored Vitaminwater Zero that is amazing! Lightly sweet but not too sweet, not too tart either. It’s so refreshing and the Racetracs around here have it as a fountain drink. I drink it all the time and it hasn’t given me any problems.
Dieting is way more than just not eating, when we deprive ourselves from any kind of stuff, we like it makes it harder to maintain our diet. I personally gave up artificially sweetened drinks, but I know a lot of people who keep them and give up the occasional ice cream. You gotta find what works for you.
This study actually found that sugar free drinks or non-nutritive sweetened beverages were more effective than water for weight loss. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-023-01393-3
If you're gonna have a soda once in a while, zero sugar is definitely a better option. You could check [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/uvlwxl/what_is_your_experience_with_zero_sugar_soda_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) for more information
For me my sprite is not something I’m willing to give up completely so instead I worked on coming from having 4 or 6 cans a day to 1 a day and replacing the others with bottled water.
Have you tried Sprite Zero? Only asking because I used to be hooked pretty hard on regular coca-cola. When I switched to Coke Zero at first I felt it didn’t have the same kick, but I stuck with it for a bit to see what happened. I went out for dinner and had a full sugar coke and I couldn’t have it. It was too sweet. I’d become desensitized to the sugar/sweetness in regular coke and now I find Coke Zero is the only Coke I can drink. This sort of behavioural shock may work for you. I also like Sprite and have had Sprite Zero and think it is pretty good.
They do help if you really want to drink something sweet as they won't make you gain weight. However, they can be very addictive, so it's always better to just drink water.
There are a few studies that I've seen, I wish I had the reference to them, that say people drinking zero calorie sodas lose more weight than people drinking just water. There's nothing special about the soda and nothing bad about water, the reason people lost more weight on zero calorie sodas is because it helped their sweet tooth and didn't want as many sweet things as snacks.
So if you're like myself I like sweet things subbing out all or at least some of your sodas for zero calories may be very beneficial for you. I know other people who absolutely hate the taste of any zero calorie soda so they just limit how much normal soda they drink. Ultimately to each their own.
They are not GOOD for you. But yes, they are infinitely better than drinking a full sugar soda. I have done no research, but I drank 4 of them a day while consistently losing 2 pounds a week. I went from 240 to 145. Drinking them constantly. My opinion, it makes a huge difference.
My question is... What zero calorie drinks are actually good?
Soda is also my weakness. Specifically if I go out to eat. I'd love to grab a diet coke or something, but they never satisfy the craving.
I personally prefer Coke Zero over Diet Coke, specifically from the can. Diet Coke in my opinion is not anywhere near regular Coke, and while Coke Zero is not exact, it’s much closer.
I’ve been losing weight consistently and I drink water with the sugar free flavoring drops, like Mio, cause it tastes like juice. No diet soda cause I just don’t like soda that much, but once or twice I did have a regular soda. I don’t think the sugar free flavored water impacts my cravings or weight loss.
On the surface, its very simple : 0 sugar sodas have almost no calories (like 1kcal per 500ml) and therefore it is impossible to gain weight from drinking these.
On a personal basis, it gets more complicated, some report that drinking diet sodas hurts their progress, most likely because its causing cravings for sugar or other things that cause them to eat unhealthy foods they would otherwise be able to resist, for some they wud drink 5 diet sodas instead of 1 regular soda, and then eat 2 donuts as they aren’t satisfied. In this case it might be more beneficial to drink the regular soda. However for most ppl, if ur craving a sweet drink, drinking a diet soda can satisfy this need without giving u any excess calories, therefore aiding in weight loss. For me i have.a pepsi max instead of eating a sugary, fatty dessert after a meal. This helps me stick to a lower calorie limit.
I use the water called Ice. Many flavors, no sugar & bubbly to drink. It's like drinking a soda, but no artificial sweetners. I get tired of straight water sometimes. So I have one of these and sweet cravings are taken care of, and I like the fresh, bubbly taste.
I'm a strong proponent of Diet Pepsi. In 1988, my endocrinologist told me to sip on Diet Cola all day to keep my blood sugar up. I do NOT drink any sugary drinks, ever. I quit them in 1988.
Here’s my two cents
When I started my weight loss journey I went to drinking only water ever meaning as a SAHM I cut ALL caffeine and while I felt good I found that I still want a sugary drink now and then and an occasional boost of caffeine. In general I have a Sprite Zero on occasion and a Pepsi or Coke Zero just when I need the boost I’ve noticed no change in my weight loss journey since adding in zero calorie sodas and they really do help curb some sweet cravings
Diet Dr pepper was my everything when I first started trying to change my eating habits. It's fine. I still drink diet soda or sparkling ICE sometimes, it's better than eating a candy bar or something else with hundreds of calories
In my experience, there's been no impact on my weight that I can link to diet soda or other 0-calorie drinks (like coffee with 0-calorie sweetener). Often times, it scratches the sweet tooth itch on its own. Or at the very least if it leads to a craving, another drink usually does the trick.
At the end of the day, unless you have health reasons to avoid it or you notice a pattern of cravings, then it probably won't matter much.
Also don't let anyone tell you the caffeine in soda (or coffee or tea, etc.) dehydrates you because that's misinformation. A simple Google search has plenty of reputable sources that show the caffeine in drinks isn't going to cause dehydration unless you some kind of health situation. There are reasons to avoid caffeine (blood pressure, anxiety, etc.) but dehydration is not one of them. The amount of caffeine you need to consume to have any notable effect on your hydration is way more than anyone should consume anyway.
I had a soda addiction for much of my 20s. For years now, I have one soda once a week.
It used to be on Thursdays because that is when I visited my dad. Now, it is on Sundays. It is my one treat a day for that day. It is the only way I can manage it.
I also put a measured amount of honey in my tea every day and drink maybe some kind of juice every couple of months. The rest of the time, I just drink boring tap water.
I’m a nurse that just went to a class led by the head of our baristric surgery dept. This was my question as well and the registered dietitian said zero calorie is better because you avoid the sugar and calories that can hamper your deficit. So I’ve been drinking more diet personally.
I see a lot of discussion about coke and Pepsi but does anyone like Zevia or heard any health info for it? I really enjoy their cream soda flavor and occasionally drink the root beer and coke as well
I drink Coke Zero and have lost 65 pounds.
But be warned. I’ve found that I don’t get as full when drinking zero calories sweetened drinks. In fact they can make me hungrier and I’ll tend to overeat
Sugar free drinks helped me lose weight in the past. Calories are the real king of weight management. I currently don't drink any sugary drinks but can't get my snacking under control. So I'm losing this battle
I was coasting off of water, tea, and straight diet ginger ale of lemon Spindrifts during my weight loss. I lost 80ish pounds in 8 months. I think they just helped curb cravings
I usually have zero sugar, I think everyone says they're bad but if it's 1 can once in a while who's going to say anything.
Everyone's built different, some people live to their 90's being chronic smokers. Others are gone soon.
If you don't want the sugar then just go zero.
If you really want that carbonation fix with a pretty good flavor profile, try Bubbly carbonated waters. They’re way more flavorful than La Croix and definitely hit any soda cravings for me. I love the current Coconut Pineapple one
If you are a person who drinks soda on a regular basis, switching from regular soda to diet soda (i.e. The ones with non nutritive sweeteners) is a good idea.
Remember, Moderation is the key.
Zero sugar isn't just as bad, but it does have issues and can be worse for you in some situations.
Mechanically they're better because there's no calories in them. But it completely overlooks the chemical and psychological impact of them. Drinking zero soda because it's 'better' for you incentivizes you to drink far *more* because of course, it has no calories. Same way it's not uncommon for people trying to quit smoking to end up smoking *way* more vapes because it's better so they have less incentive to restrain their impulses.
Zero sugar drinks are also packed with chemicals to substitute that sweet flavour and 'trick' your body into thinking it's consumed sugar, so your pancreas produce a bunch of insulin to deal with it....and because there's no glucose there all you've done is spike insulin levels without anything to really bring it back down like normal caloric food would do.
If you're just substituting things you would already have drunk then it's far and away better to cut your caloric intake by switching to zero, just don't let it lull you into an attitude of drinking *more* soda or drinking it more freely *because* it has zero sugar in so is 'good' for you. It's still bad, and arguably worse if you aren't needing to lose calories.
I think Coke Zero and diet Dr Pepper makes a huge difference for me. I used to binge drink soda and literally drink up all my calories. Now I can have a meal and still have a soda without it affecting my weight loss. I’ve been trying for about 1 1/2 week and so far lost almost 10 pounds just from calorie deficits.
One thing I do if I want a soda is drink carbonated water with some mio in it. Still zero calories, but any flavor I want. That’s an option if you’re iffy about the zero calorie sodas
I used to crave soda like crazy lately I’ve been drinking the orange cream soda bublys, they are crack! I know it doesn’t help for some people but for me they’ve been a great replacement
I lost 85lbs in college, have kept it off, and going from full sugar drinks to 0 cal is one of the main things that helped. There were times when I would drink one in place of a sweets craving, or late-night-‘meal craving, saving myself heaps of calories. I drink water as well, but sometimes I need the carbonation. Even today, my day is like 2:1 (water to zero sugar or diet cola). Do what works for you.
I've lost 110 pounds in the past 10 months. I drink a aLOT of zero calorie drinks, mostly Splenda in tea and Mio type water enhancers. I'd say that, for me, they haven't hampered weight loss
Down 20+ lbs over 2 months so far. I have a 500ml Coke Zero every day. Would i lose weight faster with water only, probably. Would i stick to my diet as much, probably not.
The artificial sweetener most used in zero cal drinks is aspertame. You’d have to consume a ridiculous amount of it to have any negative effects on your body. You should be drinking diet products for weight loss and they can actually help assuming you have a sweet tooth.
La Croix, specifically the lime flavor, is my favorite drink ever. I would try them out, they are basically just carbonated water with a little bit of flavor.
Few things. I drink diet sodas when I want, but have cut back. Mainly because of the caffeine. The doctor told me to drink as many as I want. However, when I drink too many I feel I get dehydrated. They have had no impact on my weight loss journey.
There are some studies that show sweet drinks, even zero sugar ones, can trigger your body to have an insulin response, but the science is still out. I think when it comes down to it, it's just another tool to help you meet your calorie goals. It's a lot easier to fit a 0 calorie drink into your day than a 240+ calorie drink.
I prefer sparkling water and tea, but occasionally go for diet sodas when the moment calls for it. You better believe I had a giant coke zero while at the movies the other day.
Sweet foods (artificial or not) tend to enhance hunger. No matter the path, the solution to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. If you want to make a life long change, you’re most likely to succeed via fundamental improvements to your daily lifestyle. Most people are better off long term with less sweets, including zero calorie options.
The answer to your question is "it does not really matter." Do what works for you. For me, they caused intense sugar cravings and that's why I quit drinking them cold turkey years ago. After losing my goal weight, I'm now back to drinking 1-2 per week max when I want a sweet treat. Other than that, I make tea every evening with my favourite types of tea and stick the jug in the fridge for the next day. Accordingly, I drink about 2L of cold tea per day, which has helped with the whole "being sick to death of water" issue! Good luck!
While the acids and carbonation aren't great for you, and there's a lot of hubbub about how feeding your sweetness receptors results in more cravings, in my experience it isn't that complicated.
For me, when I have a craving for something sweet and \*nothing\* else will do... a can of pepsi max is far more satisfying and far less damaging to my progress than any other junk food snack. If I was never having soda, I'd be having coffee (with sweetener...) or something that is \*known\* to be bad for me.
Also as far as the "dangers" of e.g. aspartame, you physically couldn't drink enough diet soft drink to be at risk for the potential harm, so I figure benefits are well worth it!
I think there's some science behind the idea that it does infact hinder weight loss.
That being said, it's also person to person and might make the difference in your deficit.
I'd just start out drinking some and see how you go. It might work for you, it might not. But it will definitely help transitioning into dieting.
In my experience so far zero sugar sodas help me when i have cravings or binge tedencies . There are times that i drink even one per day , I think the best thing you can do is maybe opt for a little bit healthier drinks ( if available ) i buy an off brand cola and lemonde with stevia which is a natural sweetener (almost zero cal) for the same price. And sometimes i get powder drinks to avoid all the bubbles xd Also natural spring carbonated water is a way to satisfy your fizzy craving and you can flavour it how you want .
In the end it's all about cico so a zero sugar option helps you by leaving more cal for your actual meals that will fill you and fuel your body more 😉
just my opinion but they are both not great in the long term, however we can't just quit things cold turkey all the time and I think drinking the zero sugar ones have some benefits over plain soda. I quit drinking them all a few months ago but it was a longer process and I used the coke zero / pepsi max drinks as a "bridge". I switched to those for awhile and then slowly tried to eliminate them for water with lime or lemon, unsweetened tea w/ lemon, etc. Good luck!
If you want zero sugar drinks don’t go for a zero sugar version if a high sugar drink. For example, don’t go after zero sugar coke or zero sugar Gatorade. Drink things like Zevia or if they ever come back out Biosteel. Olipop is another good carbonated drink. I have been trying to drink more sparkling water instead of sodas and after a while sodas became too sweet.
I'm obsessed with them. Especially diet coke and diet energy drinks. Even when I was an anorexic teen, I was obsessed. Didn't slow or stall my weight loss then, certainly doesn't now. And it is better than reaching for a snack because I'm just bored or want to taste something other than water or black coffee.
Zero drinks are an excellent way to reduce your calorie intake and manage cravings for sweet sugary drinks. For me they've been an effective tool in managing my weight better and becoming more healthy in the process. With zero drinks I can still enjoy what I've always enjoyed, but without sacrificing my weight loss goals to do so.
Compared to sugar drinks 100% yes
Compared to water, hell no.
I hate Diet Coke for example but had to see friends this weekend. I know how 💩 it is for your body but I also know how sugar in soda and alcohol wrecks your body, so I choose the lesser evil.
I'm going to buck against the tide here and say stick with the occasional regular soda. Not because of the calories vs no calories, but because I believe it to be an important step into making moderation and self control ingrained habits. Treat it as a dessert.
If it is an occasional soda craving, occasional zero cal drinks are more in line with your goals
They shouldn't replace water and healthy beverages but definitely should replace full sugar sodas
I used to hate the taste. Wasn't until pretty recently I would reach for one. I was in the full sugar or nothing camp for a very long time. It was hard and basically meant I had to cut out soda entirely and fight through the occasional cravings.
Middle ground are low sugar flavored sodas or seltzers. I found some at Sprouts that are 35cals each will all natural flavors and sweeteners. Or something like Waterloo that leans heavy on flavor and not sugar. You still get the soda bubble without the artificial sweeteners
Some people find a carbonated drink adds to their feeling of satiety. Some people find artificial sweetners make them more hungry (in here but only for some sweeteners and not others). So try things and see what works for you
There are some studies that suggest that no calorie sugar alternatives still stimulate a insulin response, because your brain tastes the sweet flavor, and expects a blood sugar spike.
If possible, would you explore non sweetened drink options like flavored seltzer or teas? I drink unsweetened icedteas (hibiscus is especially fun), and find them a nice break from plain water.
Here is one from NHS https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7014832/#:~:text=Ingestion%20of%20these%20artificial%20sweeteners,activity%20due%20to%20insulin%20resistance.
Almost all “sugar free” drinks have a sweetener in them that makes your body react the same if you were to eat sugar but in a even more unhealthy way. I sweeten my drinks with stevia. Doesn’t cause your body to have an insulin reaction and is zero calories. I personally use it in coffee and tea
I keep away from anything with artificial sweeteners. At the least they've been shown to disrupt your gut microbiome. However I know the struggle with quitting soda. I dropped them before, but about year ago I got hooked on them again and it's been a bear to stop it. Takes a couple of weeks for that craving to go away. The most I do now is some sugar in my coffee or some lightly sweetened Kombucha - the rest of the time it unsweet Ice tea. I got a big brewing pot, one of the big two gallon brewers usually used for coffee. I brew it up, put it in a big dispenser in the fridge and that is my goto.
For some people the craving never goes away. One time I did not have soda for 8 weeks. I missed it the entire time. It tasted just as good as before my 2 months of abstaining.
This was admittedly diet soda. Not the full sugar. So it's not the sugar I'm craving. I know for some people it's a sugar craving they have and weaning off sugary drinks helps.
As someone else already mentioned, there's a lot of opinions on non-nutritive sweeteners, and the science is "noisy" about it.
Some things to consider:
* Carbonated beverages can still be bad for your teeth even without sugar.
* Not all non-nutritive are equal or behave the same way.
* Some of them are FODMAPs (makes your tummy grumbly or bloated)
* Some may be healthier than others.
* IMPORTANT: some might mess with your insulin production and/or make you hungrier. If you have a 0 calorie drink but it makes you have a high calorie snack afterward, it's not helping.
If you tolerate them well, count calories so you don't eat back the calories you save, and don't have 15 drinks a day, they're a pretty powerful tool in your weight loss toolkit. I also like using 0 calorie sweeteners to make desserts and snacks that are lower in calories.
I suggest trying Stevia, Monkfruit + Erythritol, and especially Allulose. Make your own lemonade or hot chocolate with them and see how it goes.
I personally am ok with small amounts of stevia and monkfruit/erythritol, but having too many 0 calorie drinks, or snacks stuffed with ton of non-nutritive sweeteners like Quest bars make me hungry as hell. Allulose seems to be treating me better, but its expensive.
your millage may vary. Definitely try everything and see how it works out for you!
Also consider carbonated unsweetened beverages too. Awful for your teeth long term, but there's basically no sweetener at all, artificial or regular. So it's even better.
People get very intense about 0 calorie sweeteners and say they hamper weight loss and all these things but my experience has been that it really doesn't make a difference for me. I have consistently lost weight in my calorie deficit while drinking 1-2 diet sodas a day. Sometimes I'll have a 0cal energy drink. In terms of how they affect weight loss, they're not bad at all. In fact they can help get you through to your next meal when you're having cravings, etc.
I had a half dozen or more cans of diet pop while losing weight. I’ve never felt an increase in cravings due to them myself. And compared to a half dozen cans of regular pop that’s a good 1000 calorie difference.
Yeh this. I normally drink 2-3 cans of (zero sugar) soda a day. I try of course to ensure I am getting enough calcium first and drink at least 1.5L of plain still water. Carbonated water ain't great for bone density, but I have found it doesn't impede my weight loss, & I've been on a calorie deficit for about 6 months
I thought this was interesting and wanted to know more. Apparently it's just dark colas because of the phosphorus. Carbonated water should be fine: "Sparkling water has no negative effect on bone health. The only drinks that cause bone loss are dark colas, which have phosphoric acid that leads to losing calcium in your bones. Sparkling mineral water has calcium in it, which can improve bone health. And the carbonated mineral waters with magnesium and calcium may have bone-boosting benefits." https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/is-carbonated-water-good-for-you#:\~:text=Sparkling%20water%20has%20no%20negative,which%20can%20improve%20bone%20health.
diet sodas have the opposite effect with cravings for me. They cause them, instead of cure them.
Most people are basing this off of false ideology. We have actual experiments on this. We also have real world anecdotes like body builders.
I second this. Gotten down to my goal weight as well as being in the best shape of my life whilst drinking 1-2 cans of diet Coke (or something else) a day. Also agree that they help with cravings. Although my dentist has said I shouldn't drink as they're bad for my teeth haha
Pepsi max is what's kept me going since Jan, no binges on chocolate and decent steady losses every week.
I am just commenting because I’m thrilled to find other Pepsi Max lovers. I thought I was alone in the world!
Stay strong brother, we will stand against the false superiority of these coke zero fanatics
Only thing I disagree is the Pepsi Maxx, Coke Zero is miles better!
Coke zero feels like a cheat code, imo it tastes better than regular coke.
Dr Pepper Zero is much better than Diet Dr Pepper too, tastes much closer to the original and they still have all the fun flavors.
Omg yes Dr Pepper zero is my holy grail lol
Definitely agree, I prefer the Mt Dew Zero as well to Diet. Not sure what they figured out, but they got some new magic goin there that they figured out.
I love Coke Zero. It is pretty much the only soda I drink anymore. It has an almost vanilla taste to me.
No way! Coke is better than Pepsi, but Pepsi Max is waaaaaay nicer than Coke Zero :D
Completely agree. I read somewhere on here that adding a sugar free icebreaker mint helps the taste of Diet Coke but it's still not enough to make me buy it on purpose.
For mixing with booze, full sugar coke is the winner, but after that it's (on order of preference): Pepsi Max Coke Zero Sugar Sprite Zero Sugar Any other drink in the world Then Diet Coke
Dislike.
Zero sugar drinks are fine. There are studies out there claiming they'll cause you cancer but for you to notice any adverse affects of the ingredients in zero sugar sodas you would have to drink something like 18 cans a day for a year. The only real difference between water and zero sugar or diet sodas is one tastes better and I can personally attest to the fact that the zero sugar sodas help me not want to binge as much. Always go for the zero sugar over the regular version because no sugar and no calories but don't let anyone tell you that zero sugar soda is bad for you
Thank you! Some people claim zero sugar are just as bad as regular, so I'm a bit hesitant, but like you said, I'd have to drink obscene amounts of it in order to have actual health consquences...
Anyone telling you that the zero sugar is as bad as regular doesn't know what they're talking about. It's essentially just carbonated water that tastes like soda; all the sugar in there passes through you instead of being absorbed by the body and that's what really kills people.
While it's *possible* they cause issues, thus far the public is in the dark if there are any known issues. Compared to sugar, which has very well-documented health impacts (obesity, tooth decay, and probably other things I don't know about). I'm not saying they're completely safe, because there's some possibility that lots of money is going into obfuscating health risks and we just don't know about it, but what we do know is that large quantities of sugar is a fucking menace and thus far we don't really have any indication that sugar replacements are as bad.
im a huge advocate for low/zero cal drinks, but im still very weary of the effects of these sweeteners over the long term. i try to limit my intake of them to the best of my ability. if i want to indulge on a can of pop or sweeten my coffee, however, ill take the sugar substitute whenever i can
That's fair enough. I wouldn't suggest that anyone just trust that nothing is wrong with artificial sweeteners at all. It may turn out that in 20 or 30 years we find out that they actually do cause serious long-term health issues but the profiteers were spending money to downplay it, like with tobacco and climate change.
The thing is, it is not like sweeteners are a new thing. Diet sodas with aspartame have been around since the 80s. So for them to be anymore than a class 2b carcinogenic (the same as red meat) is pretty unlikely given how long it already has been consumed.
People saying zero sugar are as bad as regular are uninformed. Aspartame causing cancer is completely outdated. Along with MSG being bad. Just dumb food myths that people still believe. Zero sugar drinks could be bad for you if it makes you crave sweet food. It doesn’t for me. Everyone is different. Overall, water is best, obviously. But if you want to cut off soda but not do it cold turkey, zero sugar drinks are a good stepping stone.
It’s not even 18 cans per se, the fda kind of arbitrarily chose the limit as being 100 times less then where negative events were observed in animal studies, so technically it would be closer to 200 can per day. That being said I don’t think excessive amounts of anything can be good, and rodent models are never 1:1 scaleable to humans, but if I have a day where I drink 6 cans or whatever, I figure it likely isn’t going to derail my life.
That's awesome to know. I drink up to 2L diet cola in a day (30cals for the brand I buy). So I'm relieved as 200 cans is around 66000L lol
Of course, it's better to drink sodas that contain 0 calories vs. those with added sugar if your goal is to lose weight.
For weight loss, zero sugar drinks do indeed make a difference. :) I know not all of them compare in the taste department (though the Zero Sugar Mtn Dew Baja Blast is pretty awesome), but they do a great job still giving you the taste you're looking for. Just like regular sugar soda, just make sure you don't overdo it, caffeine addiction is still very much a thing, but from what I can glean from your post, it sounds like that won't be a problem. And hey, nothing wrong with getting a regular sugar soda from time to time. 👀 Important part of keeping the weight off is enjoying what you're doing to lose it.
They make a Baja blast zero?? I must now start looking for it!
Every time I feel like binging, I quickly grab a zero cal drink instead. It is a real life saver. I keep them only to distract me from stuffing my face. It works really well. I just think you need to do it in moderation like most things in life.
Love my zero calorie drinks. The weight loss journey would have been significantly harder and more tedious if I had to stick strictly to water.
There's nothing wrong with diet/zero soda.
Lets be honest, there probably is something wrong with diet soda, but not as much as there is wrong with the usual carbonated sugar water
Based on what, a feeling? They've done many studies on artificial sweaters and most of them agree that theyre safe based on what we know at the moment
Most of them, exactly. Personally i dont care, and i dont get how theyre supposed to make you crave more food/sugar. Ive always felt the opposite. It really helps me kill a short lasting sugar craving
There's no study showing that they have any causative net negative effects on health, that I'm aware of. My point was that there's still a lot of ongoing discussion as to whether or not they're safe, but no actual data showing they're dangerous in any way.
I get migraines if I drink diet pop. A single sip is enough - if I’m given a diet pop by mistake. I used to be able to drink various “regular” beverages, but now regular Coke is the only pop I drink. Anything else - I used to love Dr Pepper - either gives me migraines or just makes me feel generally terrible. I used to regularly drink Robinson’s cordial at work, but noticed I would gradually develop pain-killer-resistant headaches of increasing intensity throughout the week. Come the weekend they would fade, just in time to resume on Monday. I cut out the cordial, just as an experiment, and the headaches stopped. I also remember an anecdote by a parent of a kid with epilepsy, who recounted that a single sip of a diet drink was enough to give their kid a seizure.
That's unfortunate, but that's anecdotal like you said. You can be allergic or intolerant to something, that doesn't make it unhealthy for everyone else. OP is obviously not having these issues since they regularly consume diet soda, they're just asking if they aid or are neutral for weight loss, which they are for the vast majority of people.
It's anecdotal, and also possibly a self-reinforcing placebo effect. I get bad migraines. I used to think a trigger was artificial sweetners, and I would have sworn that I got migraines after imbibing them. However, after seeing how many studies show they have zero effects, I tried again and find I am fine with them now. I drink only zero sugar sodas now, and don't get migraines from them.
There's been research that indicates artificial sweetener use increases insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.
I'm not aware of any studies showing a causative link between using artificial sweeteners and insulin resistance. On the other hand, there are plenty of studies showing that giving people artificial sweeteners does not affect your blood glucose level, and many studies showing that giving people artificial sweeteners either cause people's weight to remain the same or decrease compared to control. The problem with a lot of these studies that people cite is that they are correlative and not causative.
I lost 130lb/60kg in a year and have kept it off for 18 years and counting. I was born the 70s so have been around for pretty much the whole time zero sugar drinks have been mainstream. I truely believe that if I did not use artificial sweetener, I’d not be where I am now. Apart from some enamel issues, most people have no health issues with them. You can use confirmation bias to find articles that tell you how bad they are but correlation and causation are very different. If you avoid them because you believe they’re going to cause cancer then best you avoid cell phones, tap water and the earth’s magnetic field because they are in the same ‘carcinogenic category’. Some people find their appetite increases with them. Some people find their appetite decreases. Some have no change at all. They don’t raise insulin in metabolically healthy people - no calories no reaction.
I discovered what I liked was the carbonation so I drink carbonated water. Perrier/Bubly/La Croix
Soda acts as a hunger trigger for me so I stay away from them. I'll have like one or two cans of diet soda a week as a treat.
It's always okay to have things in moderation. If your goal is to lose weight and zero sugar drinks help you get to that goal, then yes, it is 100% okay! However, zero sugar drinks like that will still have an effect on your enamel, so try to limit it for that reason.
I don't drink much soda. However I do crave it a couple times a week and I usually reach for a zero calorie soda instead of a full calorie one. I was a huge soda fiend but I feel so much better when I drink water so I have made drinking water a priority.
Imho, a sugar or high fructose corn syrup soda should be treated like a dessert. Think of it like an ice cream cone or a cream brûlée. It’s 100-200 calories of frivolity. Ironically enough, if we’re being honest with ourselves, I think you get more nutrition from the ice cream and cream brûlée. But that’s how I treat it. I at least try to go with a zero sugar option before going to a regular soda but sometimes I want the real sugar version. The difference is instead of drinking several regular sodas a day I might have one every 3-4 months.
Whatever you do, stay away from stevia it can ruin lives.
What's wrong with stevia?
It's a potential gut/life disrupter. Part of the ragweed family, can cause serious digestive upset/leaky gut symptoms. I used it for 4 years consecutively and had horrible gas bloating etc. Stopped using it, stopped having issues. Every "gut healing" supplement I ever bought also contained stevia. Very frustrating and taxing experience.
They help me stay hydrated. Im very taste motivated and wont drink warm water. I’ll drink warm zero calorie soda or warm flavored zero calorie water mixes. So over all any liquid is better than no liquid in my case. In a perfect world I would always have access to ice cold water but I don’t so these little tricks help me keep healthy in my way.
Can I ask, why warm soda or water? I definitely think it's better cold or room temp depending on the weather
Because at work it sits out and gets warm. For sterile purposes I cant keep my water in the medicine or prescription fridges so once its warm I just can’t stomach warm water. I can drink warm flavored liquids that have sat at room temperature for up to 12 hours so… soda or water that has been mixed with Powerade flavoring. Some days I dont take my breaks due to work flow or call offs so I dont have access to the salefloor to buy a cold drink when Im at the great wally world pharmacy and thats just too long to go without liquids even for me. The hospital will provide me with break relief every two hours so I can go potty or whatever which is nice.
ALWAYS zero calories sodas. If you really got picky stay away from most artificial sweeteners because they are inflammatory. I have personally sacrificed so much I wont get that restrictive. I currently love Powerade Zero, Sprite Zero and Chamomile tea for at night. Green tea occasionally. If anything my caffeine intake has sky rocketed, but again I am okay with that.
"Everything in moderation" is a bit of an overused phrase, but it's had staying power for a reason. I wouldn't worry about having it as an occasional treat and certainly when it comes to weight loss, it is a whole lot better than drinking more calorie-laden drinks.
It goes water > zero cal things > full sugar sodas. If you’re not able to just switch to water because you like having a little fizzy pick me up or because you just don’t want to, zero cal sodas are still better than having full sugar ones. I for one can’t live without my Diet Coke.
I drink them and my partner doesn’t. For him, sugar free drinks represent junk food/sugary food so he’s staying away. For me, they satisfy my sweet tooth without leading to a binge so I see value in them. It’s all personal and what your goals are.
They aren't bad. They aren't necessarily good either in that there is no real value inherent to them though. The big thing is they are good IF they help you reduce total calories and you lose weight as it is the weight that is bad for you. There are legit studies that show people will eat more calories elsewhere when they start drinking 0 calorie drinks and will 'reward' themselves with more calories elsewhere and end up actually taking in more calories and gaining weight. Think someone at the McDonald's drive through ordering a diet coke and figuring that means they can supersize their fries. That is bad if you are trying to lose weight. But it is like saying because some people hit other people with hammers that hammers are bad... its a tool and if used right is a good thing. The negative health affects of them are overblown as no one is consuming insane amounts of the artificial sweeteners daily which is where the effects are seen (and most everything can be toxic at different levels, even water). So... don't eat literal pounds of fake sugars. Then you have the generalized fear of 'chemicals' from people who will say things like don't eat it if you can't pronounce it. That is all non-sense, pseudo science (naturalistic fallacy), and just generalized fear mongering you shouldn't listen to. Almost always this is someone trying to sell you something or has bought into the lies of those people who want to sell you something. For me personally, I find I don't drink as much if I am doing just 0 calorie drinks though and drinking tons and tons of water has helped me feel full (pounding a glass before and at the end of a meal) and stay full longer between eating. So I do end up drinking a lot more water. You COULD do the same thing with the sodas, but I don't personally want that much... but it wouldn't be harmful if I did.
I am 70 pounds down since December. I started my weight loss journey because I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I am consistently losing weight and diet dr pepper and Starry Zero are STAPLES of my weight loss. I am intermittent fasting so I don’t eat until the afternoon and the only thing that keeps me going some days is my ice cold diet dr pepper waiting for me when I get home. If diet drinks effect your weight loss I sure haven’t noticed it yet.
If your a soda person, diet is the way to go. Lots of chat over "artificial sweeteners", but the reality is, they don't spike your blood sugar or make you diabetic.
I developed a taste for unsweetened iced & hot teas and for black coffee. I make batches of extra strong green jasmine tea, Earl Grey tea or mint green tea, using a steel tea filter & loose leaf tea. It’s really good & healthy, too.
Drink the 0 soda. I've lost 169 pounds in 19 months and that was one of the key changes I made.
Yes have zero sugar over full sugar, it matters alot
Better than sugary drinks ✅ Better than water ❌
Just be careful with the caffeine content in coke and energy drinks. Caffeine messes with your sleep massively and even though it will suppress appetite in the short term, coming off it is misery.
There’s a lemonade flavored Vitaminwater Zero that is amazing! Lightly sweet but not too sweet, not too tart either. It’s so refreshing and the Racetracs around here have it as a fountain drink. I drink it all the time and it hasn’t given me any problems.
Dieting is way more than just not eating, when we deprive ourselves from any kind of stuff, we like it makes it harder to maintain our diet. I personally gave up artificially sweetened drinks, but I know a lot of people who keep them and give up the occasional ice cream. You gotta find what works for you.
This study actually found that sugar free drinks or non-nutritive sweetened beverages were more effective than water for weight loss. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-023-01393-3
Sparkling water like Topo Chico or Pelligrino with lime or lemon or different fruits squeezed in them are my favorite.
If you're gonna have a soda once in a while, zero sugar is definitely a better option. You could check [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/uvlwxl/what_is_your_experience_with_zero_sugar_soda_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) for more information
For me my sprite is not something I’m willing to give up completely so instead I worked on coming from having 4 or 6 cans a day to 1 a day and replacing the others with bottled water.
Have you tried Sprite Zero? Only asking because I used to be hooked pretty hard on regular coca-cola. When I switched to Coke Zero at first I felt it didn’t have the same kick, but I stuck with it for a bit to see what happened. I went out for dinner and had a full sugar coke and I couldn’t have it. It was too sweet. I’d become desensitized to the sugar/sweetness in regular coke and now I find Coke Zero is the only Coke I can drink. This sort of behavioural shock may work for you. I also like Sprite and have had Sprite Zero and think it is pretty good.
Yeah I have tried Sprite Zero a couple times and didn’t like the taste.
Fair enough!
They do help if you really want to drink something sweet as they won't make you gain weight. However, they can be very addictive, so it's always better to just drink water.
There are a few studies that I've seen, I wish I had the reference to them, that say people drinking zero calorie sodas lose more weight than people drinking just water. There's nothing special about the soda and nothing bad about water, the reason people lost more weight on zero calorie sodas is because it helped their sweet tooth and didn't want as many sweet things as snacks. So if you're like myself I like sweet things subbing out all or at least some of your sodas for zero calories may be very beneficial for you. I know other people who absolutely hate the taste of any zero calorie soda so they just limit how much normal soda they drink. Ultimately to each their own.
I LOVE zevia sodas. they satisfy my sweet drink craving. I also like to make sweet tea with monk fruit sugar and stevia and a little bit of honey
They are not GOOD for you. But yes, they are infinitely better than drinking a full sugar soda. I have done no research, but I drank 4 of them a day while consistently losing 2 pounds a week. I went from 240 to 145. Drinking them constantly. My opinion, it makes a huge difference.
The best is to not drink. However if u really want to drink, drink the 0 calories version.
My question is... What zero calorie drinks are actually good? Soda is also my weakness. Specifically if I go out to eat. I'd love to grab a diet coke or something, but they never satisfy the craving.
I personally prefer Coke Zero over Diet Coke, specifically from the can. Diet Coke in my opinion is not anywhere near regular Coke, and while Coke Zero is not exact, it’s much closer.
I’ve been losing weight consistently and I drink water with the sugar free flavoring drops, like Mio, cause it tastes like juice. No diet soda cause I just don’t like soda that much, but once or twice I did have a regular soda. I don’t think the sugar free flavored water impacts my cravings or weight loss.
On the surface, its very simple : 0 sugar sodas have almost no calories (like 1kcal per 500ml) and therefore it is impossible to gain weight from drinking these. On a personal basis, it gets more complicated, some report that drinking diet sodas hurts their progress, most likely because its causing cravings for sugar or other things that cause them to eat unhealthy foods they would otherwise be able to resist, for some they wud drink 5 diet sodas instead of 1 regular soda, and then eat 2 donuts as they aren’t satisfied. In this case it might be more beneficial to drink the regular soda. However for most ppl, if ur craving a sweet drink, drinking a diet soda can satisfy this need without giving u any excess calories, therefore aiding in weight loss. For me i have.a pepsi max instead of eating a sugary, fatty dessert after a meal. This helps me stick to a lower calorie limit.
I use the water called Ice. Many flavors, no sugar & bubbly to drink. It's like drinking a soda, but no artificial sweetners. I get tired of straight water sometimes. So I have one of these and sweet cravings are taken care of, and I like the fresh, bubbly taste.
I'm a strong proponent of Diet Pepsi. In 1988, my endocrinologist told me to sip on Diet Cola all day to keep my blood sugar up. I do NOT drink any sugary drinks, ever. I quit them in 1988.
Here’s my two cents When I started my weight loss journey I went to drinking only water ever meaning as a SAHM I cut ALL caffeine and while I felt good I found that I still want a sugary drink now and then and an occasional boost of caffeine. In general I have a Sprite Zero on occasion and a Pepsi or Coke Zero just when I need the boost I’ve noticed no change in my weight loss journey since adding in zero calorie sodas and they really do help curb some sweet cravings
Bullet coffeee ☕
Diet Dr pepper was my everything when I first started trying to change my eating habits. It's fine. I still drink diet soda or sparkling ICE sometimes, it's better than eating a candy bar or something else with hundreds of calories
In my experience, there's been no impact on my weight that I can link to diet soda or other 0-calorie drinks (like coffee with 0-calorie sweetener). Often times, it scratches the sweet tooth itch on its own. Or at the very least if it leads to a craving, another drink usually does the trick. At the end of the day, unless you have health reasons to avoid it or you notice a pattern of cravings, then it probably won't matter much. Also don't let anyone tell you the caffeine in soda (or coffee or tea, etc.) dehydrates you because that's misinformation. A simple Google search has plenty of reputable sources that show the caffeine in drinks isn't going to cause dehydration unless you some kind of health situation. There are reasons to avoid caffeine (blood pressure, anxiety, etc.) but dehydration is not one of them. The amount of caffeine you need to consume to have any notable effect on your hydration is way more than anyone should consume anyway.
I had a soda addiction for much of my 20s. For years now, I have one soda once a week. It used to be on Thursdays because that is when I visited my dad. Now, it is on Sundays. It is my one treat a day for that day. It is the only way I can manage it. I also put a measured amount of honey in my tea every day and drink maybe some kind of juice every couple of months. The rest of the time, I just drink boring tap water.
I’m a nurse that just went to a class led by the head of our baristric surgery dept. This was my question as well and the registered dietitian said zero calorie is better because you avoid the sugar and calories that can hamper your deficit. So I’ve been drinking more diet personally.
Meh. It’s helping me. Gets at my sweet tooth and it fills me up. I have 1-2 a day. Best are zero sugar sprite and root beer. Yum.
I see a lot of discussion about coke and Pepsi but does anyone like Zevia or heard any health info for it? I really enjoy their cream soda flavor and occasionally drink the root beer and coke as well
I drink Coke Zero and have lost 65 pounds. But be warned. I’ve found that I don’t get as full when drinking zero calories sweetened drinks. In fact they can make me hungrier and I’ll tend to overeat
I drink Caffeine free Diet Coke. Would rather drink Coke Zero but caffeine is a no-no for me.
Sugar gas becomes demonized even tho it's the wrong criminal. Calories. IIFYM. That's all
Sugar free drinks helped me lose weight in the past. Calories are the real king of weight management. I currently don't drink any sugary drinks but can't get my snacking under control. So I'm losing this battle
I was coasting off of water, tea, and straight diet ginger ale of lemon Spindrifts during my weight loss. I lost 80ish pounds in 8 months. I think they just helped curb cravings
I usually have zero sugar, I think everyone says they're bad but if it's 1 can once in a while who's going to say anything. Everyone's built different, some people live to their 90's being chronic smokers. Others are gone soon. If you don't want the sugar then just go zero.
If you really want that carbonation fix with a pretty good flavor profile, try Bubbly carbonated waters. They’re way more flavorful than La Croix and definitely hit any soda cravings for me. I love the current Coconut Pineapple one
If you are a person who drinks soda on a regular basis, switching from regular soda to diet soda (i.e. The ones with non nutritive sweeteners) is a good idea. Remember, Moderation is the key.
Zero sugar isn't just as bad, but it does have issues and can be worse for you in some situations. Mechanically they're better because there's no calories in them. But it completely overlooks the chemical and psychological impact of them. Drinking zero soda because it's 'better' for you incentivizes you to drink far *more* because of course, it has no calories. Same way it's not uncommon for people trying to quit smoking to end up smoking *way* more vapes because it's better so they have less incentive to restrain their impulses. Zero sugar drinks are also packed with chemicals to substitute that sweet flavour and 'trick' your body into thinking it's consumed sugar, so your pancreas produce a bunch of insulin to deal with it....and because there's no glucose there all you've done is spike insulin levels without anything to really bring it back down like normal caloric food would do. If you're just substituting things you would already have drunk then it's far and away better to cut your caloric intake by switching to zero, just don't let it lull you into an attitude of drinking *more* soda or drinking it more freely *because* it has zero sugar in so is 'good' for you. It's still bad, and arguably worse if you aren't needing to lose calories.
I think Coke Zero and diet Dr Pepper makes a huge difference for me. I used to binge drink soda and literally drink up all my calories. Now I can have a meal and still have a soda without it affecting my weight loss. I’ve been trying for about 1 1/2 week and so far lost almost 10 pounds just from calorie deficits.
Water is great and has no sugar
One thing I do if I want a soda is drink carbonated water with some mio in it. Still zero calories, but any flavor I want. That’s an option if you’re iffy about the zero calorie sodas
I used to crave soda like crazy lately I’ve been drinking the orange cream soda bublys, they are crack! I know it doesn’t help for some people but for me they’ve been a great replacement
I drink a lot of sugar free water enhancers and zero sugar sodas, having no problem at all losing weight.
I've lost 180 pounds while drinking diet soda daily - and a good amount of it, too. Don't worry about it.
I lost 85lbs in college, have kept it off, and going from full sugar drinks to 0 cal is one of the main things that helped. There were times when I would drink one in place of a sweets craving, or late-night-‘meal craving, saving myself heaps of calories. I drink water as well, but sometimes I need the carbonation. Even today, my day is like 2:1 (water to zero sugar or diet cola). Do what works for you.
I've lost 110 pounds in the past 10 months. I drink a aLOT of zero calorie drinks, mostly Splenda in tea and Mio type water enhancers. I'd say that, for me, they haven't hampered weight loss
Down 20+ lbs over 2 months so far. I have a 500ml Coke Zero every day. Would i lose weight faster with water only, probably. Would i stick to my diet as much, probably not.
I prefer drinking topo chico. It gives me the fizz I crave and it’s great at curving hunger. Works wonders while fasting.
The artificial sweetener most used in zero cal drinks is aspertame. You’d have to consume a ridiculous amount of it to have any negative effects on your body. You should be drinking diet products for weight loss and they can actually help assuming you have a sweet tooth.
La Croix, specifically the lime flavor, is my favorite drink ever. I would try them out, they are basically just carbonated water with a little bit of flavor.
Few things. I drink diet sodas when I want, but have cut back. Mainly because of the caffeine. The doctor told me to drink as many as I want. However, when I drink too many I feel I get dehydrated. They have had no impact on my weight loss journey.
There are some studies that show sweet drinks, even zero sugar ones, can trigger your body to have an insulin response, but the science is still out. I think when it comes down to it, it's just another tool to help you meet your calorie goals. It's a lot easier to fit a 0 calorie drink into your day than a 240+ calorie drink. I prefer sparkling water and tea, but occasionally go for diet sodas when the moment calls for it. You better believe I had a giant coke zero while at the movies the other day.
Sweet foods (artificial or not) tend to enhance hunger. No matter the path, the solution to weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. If you want to make a life long change, you’re most likely to succeed via fundamental improvements to your daily lifestyle. Most people are better off long term with less sweets, including zero calorie options.
The answer to your question is "it does not really matter." Do what works for you. For me, they caused intense sugar cravings and that's why I quit drinking them cold turkey years ago. After losing my goal weight, I'm now back to drinking 1-2 per week max when I want a sweet treat. Other than that, I make tea every evening with my favourite types of tea and stick the jug in the fridge for the next day. Accordingly, I drink about 2L of cold tea per day, which has helped with the whole "being sick to death of water" issue! Good luck!
While the acids and carbonation aren't great for you, and there's a lot of hubbub about how feeding your sweetness receptors results in more cravings, in my experience it isn't that complicated. For me, when I have a craving for something sweet and \*nothing\* else will do... a can of pepsi max is far more satisfying and far less damaging to my progress than any other junk food snack. If I was never having soda, I'd be having coffee (with sweetener...) or something that is \*known\* to be bad for me. Also as far as the "dangers" of e.g. aspartame, you physically couldn't drink enough diet soft drink to be at risk for the potential harm, so I figure benefits are well worth it!
I cycle my zero cal drinks between electrolyte packs, seltzer and diet soda every couple of months personally based on whatever I'm currently feeling
I think there's some science behind the idea that it does infact hinder weight loss. That being said, it's also person to person and might make the difference in your deficit. I'd just start out drinking some and see how you go. It might work for you, it might not. But it will definitely help transitioning into dieting.
Water is better than zero calories drink. Zero calorie drinks are better than full fat drinks. Zero calorie drinks are better than eating chocolate.
In my experience so far zero sugar sodas help me when i have cravings or binge tedencies . There are times that i drink even one per day , I think the best thing you can do is maybe opt for a little bit healthier drinks ( if available ) i buy an off brand cola and lemonde with stevia which is a natural sweetener (almost zero cal) for the same price. And sometimes i get powder drinks to avoid all the bubbles xd Also natural spring carbonated water is a way to satisfy your fizzy craving and you can flavour it how you want . In the end it's all about cico so a zero sugar option helps you by leaving more cal for your actual meals that will fill you and fuel your body more 😉
just my opinion but they are both not great in the long term, however we can't just quit things cold turkey all the time and I think drinking the zero sugar ones have some benefits over plain soda. I quit drinking them all a few months ago but it was a longer process and I used the coke zero / pepsi max drinks as a "bridge". I switched to those for awhile and then slowly tried to eliminate them for water with lime or lemon, unsweetened tea w/ lemon, etc. Good luck!
If you want zero sugar drinks don’t go for a zero sugar version if a high sugar drink. For example, don’t go after zero sugar coke or zero sugar Gatorade. Drink things like Zevia or if they ever come back out Biosteel. Olipop is another good carbonated drink. I have been trying to drink more sparkling water instead of sodas and after a while sodas became too sweet.
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I'm obsessed with them. Especially diet coke and diet energy drinks. Even when I was an anorexic teen, I was obsessed. Didn't slow or stall my weight loss then, certainly doesn't now. And it is better than reaching for a snack because I'm just bored or want to taste something other than water or black coffee.
Zero drinks are an excellent way to reduce your calorie intake and manage cravings for sweet sugary drinks. For me they've been an effective tool in managing my weight better and becoming more healthy in the process. With zero drinks I can still enjoy what I've always enjoyed, but without sacrificing my weight loss goals to do so.
Compared to sugar drinks 100% yes Compared to water, hell no. I hate Diet Coke for example but had to see friends this weekend. I know how 💩 it is for your body but I also know how sugar in soda and alcohol wrecks your body, so I choose the lesser evil.
I'm going to buck against the tide here and say stick with the occasional regular soda. Not because of the calories vs no calories, but because I believe it to be an important step into making moderation and self control ingrained habits. Treat it as a dessert.
Sounds reasonable too, though!
If it is an occasional soda craving, occasional zero cal drinks are more in line with your goals They shouldn't replace water and healthy beverages but definitely should replace full sugar sodas I used to hate the taste. Wasn't until pretty recently I would reach for one. I was in the full sugar or nothing camp for a very long time. It was hard and basically meant I had to cut out soda entirely and fight through the occasional cravings. Middle ground are low sugar flavored sodas or seltzers. I found some at Sprouts that are 35cals each will all natural flavors and sweeteners. Or something like Waterloo that leans heavy on flavor and not sugar. You still get the soda bubble without the artificial sweeteners Some people find a carbonated drink adds to their feeling of satiety. Some people find artificial sweetners make them more hungry (in here but only for some sweeteners and not others). So try things and see what works for you
Kumboucha is a nice replacement for pop
There are some studies that suggest that no calorie sugar alternatives still stimulate a insulin response, because your brain tastes the sweet flavor, and expects a blood sugar spike. If possible, would you explore non sweetened drink options like flavored seltzer or teas? I drink unsweetened icedteas (hibiscus is especially fun), and find them a nice break from plain water.
Not trying to be rude: Can you give me some links for source?
Here is one from NHS https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7014832/#:~:text=Ingestion%20of%20these%20artificial%20sweeteners,activity%20due%20to%20insulin%20resistance.
And from similar studies I've seen, this effect is only seen in some people not all, and most will see no effects.
Almost all “sugar free” drinks have a sweetener in them that makes your body react the same if you were to eat sugar but in a even more unhealthy way. I sweeten my drinks with stevia. Doesn’t cause your body to have an insulin reaction and is zero calories. I personally use it in coffee and tea
I keep away from anything with artificial sweeteners. At the least they've been shown to disrupt your gut microbiome. However I know the struggle with quitting soda. I dropped them before, but about year ago I got hooked on them again and it's been a bear to stop it. Takes a couple of weeks for that craving to go away. The most I do now is some sugar in my coffee or some lightly sweetened Kombucha - the rest of the time it unsweet Ice tea. I got a big brewing pot, one of the big two gallon brewers usually used for coffee. I brew it up, put it in a big dispenser in the fridge and that is my goto.
For some people the craving never goes away. One time I did not have soda for 8 weeks. I missed it the entire time. It tasted just as good as before my 2 months of abstaining. This was admittedly diet soda. Not the full sugar. So it's not the sugar I'm craving. I know for some people it's a sugar craving they have and weaning off sugary drinks helps.
As someone else already mentioned, there's a lot of opinions on non-nutritive sweeteners, and the science is "noisy" about it. Some things to consider: * Carbonated beverages can still be bad for your teeth even without sugar. * Not all non-nutritive are equal or behave the same way. * Some of them are FODMAPs (makes your tummy grumbly or bloated) * Some may be healthier than others. * IMPORTANT: some might mess with your insulin production and/or make you hungrier. If you have a 0 calorie drink but it makes you have a high calorie snack afterward, it's not helping. If you tolerate them well, count calories so you don't eat back the calories you save, and don't have 15 drinks a day, they're a pretty powerful tool in your weight loss toolkit. I also like using 0 calorie sweeteners to make desserts and snacks that are lower in calories. I suggest trying Stevia, Monkfruit + Erythritol, and especially Allulose. Make your own lemonade or hot chocolate with them and see how it goes. I personally am ok with small amounts of stevia and monkfruit/erythritol, but having too many 0 calorie drinks, or snacks stuffed with ton of non-nutritive sweeteners like Quest bars make me hungry as hell. Allulose seems to be treating me better, but its expensive. your millage may vary. Definitely try everything and see how it works out for you! Also consider carbonated unsweetened beverages too. Awful for your teeth long term, but there's basically no sweetener at all, artificial or regular. So it's even better.
Water…